How it’s calculated
A pyeong is the area of a square 6 ja (about 1.818 m) on each side. With 1 ja = 10/33 m, 1 pyeong is 400/121 m², about 3.3058 m².
So 32 pyeong is about 105.79 m², and 84 m² is about 25.41 pyeong. One square meter is about 10.764 square feet.
Reading Korean apartment listings
- Exclusive area (전용면적): the space inside your front door. A listing that says “84 m²” usually means this.
- Common residential area (주거공용면적): stairs, hallways and elevators shared within the building.
- Supply area (공급면적): exclusive plus common residential area. A “34-pyeong” apartment is often named by this number.
- Contract area (계약면적): supply area plus other shared spaces such as parking.
| Exclusive area | In pyeong |
|---|---|
| 59㎡ | about 17.8 pyeong |
| 74㎡ | about 22.4 pyeong |
| 84㎡ | about 25.4 pyeong |
| 114㎡ | about 34.5 pyeong |
Two apartments with the same 84 m² exclusive area can be called 32 or 35 pyeong, because the share of common area differs by complex.
Why listings use m²
Square metres are legal measurement units; pyeong remains a familiar comparison unit in everyday conversation. KATS cites Article 6 of the Measures Act as the basis for restrictions on non-legal units. For contracts or official records, use the area stated in m²; the pyeong conversion here is a reference to help you understand it.
FAQ
Exactly how big is 1 pyeong?
400/121 m², about 3.305785 m². It is often rounded to 3.3058 or 3.3 m².
What is a quick way to convert m² to pyeong?
Multiply by 0.3025. For a rough figure, multiplying by 0.3 is close.
How many pyeong is an 84 m² apartment?
Its exclusive area is about 25.4 pyeong. By supply area it is usually called 32 to 35 pyeong, depending on the complex.